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Updated: Jul 12, 2026
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Experimental Methods to Study Human Postural Control
Published on: September 11, 2019
A "wait and learn" strategy of postural control learning in children?
Fredrik Tjernström1, Jennie Oredsson, Måns Magnusson
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital of Lund, 221 85 Lund, Sweden. Fredrik.Tjernstrom@med.lu.se
Journal of Vestibular Research : Equilibrium & Orientation
|August 30, 2007
Summary
Children and adults adapt differently to new postural challenges. While both groups reduced body sway over time, adults showed improvement within trials, unlike children.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Human Physiology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Postural control is crucial for daily activities.
- Understanding age-related differences in adaptation to postural challenges is important for developmental studies.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated the distinct adaptive mechanisms in children versus adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the adaptive responses to a novel postural challenge in children and adults.
- To investigate differences in body sway reduction over time between age groups.
- To explore how children and adults adapt to sustained postural stress.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving two groups: children (n=13, ages 7-9) and adults (n=12, ages 15-32).
- Participants underwent vibration-induced body sway and posturography for five consecutive days, with eyes open and closed.
- Statistical analysis was performed to compare changes in body sway between and within trials across age groups.
Main Results:
- Both children and adults demonstrated a significant decrease in body sway over consecutive trials (p<0.001).
- Adults showed a significant reduction in body sway within each trial over time (p<0.05), indicating rapid adaptation.
- Children exhibited significantly less body sway at the start of the second trial compared to the end of the first (p<0.01), suggesting a different adaptation pattern.
Conclusions:
- Children and adults display distinct adaptation strategies when facing a new postural challenge.
- Adults appear to adapt more rapidly within a single trial, while children's adaptation may occur more gradually between trials.
- These findings highlight age-dependent differences in the neural control of posture and adaptation mechanisms.
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